Better Get Your Story Straight
by KkarmaCchameleon
Summary: After an incident with no other witnesses, James and Lily compare stories to figure out what exactly they're going to tell Professor McGonagall. (Rated M for language, just to be safe!)


The entire school heard the scream—_"Potter!"_—the bang, and the thud. In that order.

They rushed to the scene to see what the hell had happened. When they got there, the dust was settling to reveal James Potter—no surprise there—helping Lily Evans off the ground. Both seemed to be in a frazzled state, especially the latter. She shrugged his hand off and brushed debris out of her hair before glaring fiercely at who appeared to be her partner in crime. The assessed took in everything. Tattered robes, messy hair, a few cuts and bruises...

Oh, and the hole in the wall. That was new.

And, stirring slightly, seven other students that they hadn't noticed until just now.

Those that had gotten there first—or pushed their way to the front—started trying to piece it together. Potter and Evans were in the same place, looking a little haggard. There was damage done to Hogwarts property. There were seven unconscious Slytherins lying on the floor. They might not have been able to produce an explanation for what happened, but they knew one thing: shit had just gone down.

Then came the second scream: "Potter!"

Everyone parted instantly, recognizing the voice as a furious Professor McGonagall. "Potter," she said again, voice frighteningly level. "Would you mind telling me what the—" She broke off, spotting the students on the floor. Sighing, she bent down to examine them. When she stood, she went on a new train of thought. "I'm going to see what I can do about them. I want you two," she looked pointedly between James and Lily. "In my office in one hour to tell me how exactly you landed the entire Slytherin Quidditch team in the hospital wing!"

—

"So what are you going to tell her?" James asked conversationally, sitting down and leaning against the wall outside McGonagall's office.

"Exactly what happened!" Lily sat against the opposite wall, not wanting to be too close to him at the moment. She combed through her hair with her fingers, since McGonagall had elected to take both of their wands until she was through interrogating the two of them.

"And...what _exactly_ happened, from your view?"

"You went off the deep end, that's what happened," she grumbled.

"No, Lily, seriously. I caused some damage back there, and I need to know that you've got my back in this. She trusts you; you're Head Girl, after all."

"Precisely. I'm Head Girl. The professors trust me. Why would I lie to them? Why would I defend you, anyway? Pretty sure it's your fault that I'm covered in dust and bruises." She brushed her hand across her cheek and saw red on her fingers. "And blood. Fantastic."

"I'm sorry about that, but I was protecting you," he said earnestly.

"Last I checked, I _don't need protecting,_ Potter!"

"Well, since you're about to help me get detentions every Saturday till N.E.W.T.S., you might as well tell me what you're going to tell her. Just so I'm prepared."

"Oh, _fine! _If it'll make you shut up. Here's what happened..."

—

She sense them before she saw or heard them. She just had that hair-standing-on-end feeling you get when you're being followed. Her hand was already wrapped around her wand when they jumped out of nowhere. "Hello," she said cooly. So she was outnumbered seven to one. Big deal. Everyone surrounding her knew she could take them, and that should have been reason enough not to attack.

"Where's your wittle boyfwend," one of them—a Beater, by the looks of him—taunted. "Is he gonna swoop in and save you?"

"Wow, _swoop,_ that's a pretty big word for you, isn't it?" Lily rolled her eyes. They were wasting her time.

The seven started in close in, mocking her and throwing every insult they could think of. With an almost bored expression, she flicked her wand.

All seven were tied up immediately. A triumphant grin crossed her face, but it was fleeting. "What are _you_ doing here?" she snapped.

"Thought I smelled a mudblood," the greasy-haired boy replied. "I see you've tied up my friends. Coward. Couldn't fight them when they were able? Waiting for James I'm-such-a-bloody-hero Potter to come finish the job for you?" His eyes glinted with hatred, and he waved his wand, untying his classmates before slouching off.

—

"I didn't know _Snape_ was involved! I'm going to _kill_ that little—"

"Potter! I'm telling you what happened, okay? Shut it."

"Sorry."

—

That. Little. Bitch.

Okay, Lily could handle this. She raised her wand again, trying to think of a hex that wouldn't cause lasting damage but would give her enough time to get away. They started hurling basic jinxes at her, which she deflected with a simple _"Protego!"_ If they would just quit for three seconds, she'd be able to get them off her back.

Just then, the last person she wanted to see in this situation was there, wand at the ready.

"James," she hissed. "I've got this under control."

"Sure looks like it." And then, out of nowhere, he lost it.

—

"It wasn't _out of nowhere!_"

"Would you quit interrupting me?!"

"But now you're just flat-out lying!"

"Okay, where was I... Right. You lost it out of nowhere."

"It wasn't—"

—

Lily didn't even know what spell he'd cast. She barely had time to shriek, "Potter!" But the next second, he was diving on top of her and pushing her to the ground, avoiding the ricochet of the spell that had knocked the Slytherins out completely and left a hole in the wall.

—

"Okay, you clearly have a different recollection of events than I do. Your brain must be muddled."

"Wow, wonder what could've caused that. Couldn't be whatever it is that _you_ did, could it?"

"Look, I'm sorry that you got hurt in the process..." He did look pretty apologetic, considering. "But they were going to hurt you!"

"Please! They're too thick for that!" She paused. She didn't want her boyfriend to get into too much trouble, but she also wanted him to learn a lesson. Still, she wanted to know how he thought things occurred. "So...what are _you_ going to tell her?"

"The truth."

—

He'd been looking for Lily and couldn't find her, so he whipped out the Marauders Map.

—

"You _swore_ you wouldn't use it to spy on me!"

"Lily, I'm three seconds in and you're cutting in? Hypocrite."

—

When James saw that his girlfriend—Merlin, it still sounded weird in his head that Lily Evans was his girlfriend. It felt like a dream.

—

"Get on with it, Potter. We've only got a few more minutes."

"I thought you wanted the whole story?"

"Leave out the internal monologue."

—

When James noticed that his girlfriend was encircled by what looked to be all of Slytherin's Quidditch team in an otherwise empty hallway, he was suspicious at once. He took a couple shortcuts and arrived to find them throwing spells left and right, while she was there alone. She would hate for him to intervene, which she made clear in telling him that she had in under control, but he saw something she didn't.

James saw Mulciber, face scrunched up in concentration, wand gripped tightly. He had seen that look once before, near the end of fifth year when Mulciber had used the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail.

There was no chance in hell that was going to happen to Lily. Not with him around. Before he knew it, he was swishing his wand and using a spell he wasn't even aware he knew of. "Potter!" Lily shouted, though he wasn't sure if she wanted help or if she recognized the curse.

When he realized what damage was about to be done, he lunged and tackled her to keep her out of the way of...whatever it was.

—

"And then you threatened my life about eight times," James finished.

"Are...are you serious?"

"Okay, maybe it was six or seven. But threats were made, I promise!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "No, about Mulciber."

He nodded. "I don't know what happened, Lily, honestly. I didn't mean to cause _that_ much trouble. You know I don't do that with you around."

"Hey—" she started to protest.

"No, let me finish. I try to be a better person for you, not the arrogant toerag that thinks he can hex anything with legs and just get away with it. But when I saw that he was going to... that he was going to do that to you—you don't understand. That messed Peter up for _weeks._ You saw what a wreck he was! If that had happened to you when I was right there and could've stopped it, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "God, Lily, I love you so much. I just, I lost control, I guess."

McGonagall arrived. "Alright, Evans, you first..." Lily's expression was unreadable as she followed her professor into her office.

James started to freak out inside. What if Lily didn't believe him? What if she went in there and told her side of it and he didn't get a chance to speak at all? What if he got expelled? What if—

The door opened and the two stepped out. Lily's face was still emotionless. "Well, I think that's all we'll be needing. Potter, a quick word?"

Lily hung back, but McGonagall shooed her away. "I'm not going to string him up! Come on, I haven't got all day."

James scrambled to his feet as Lily brushed past him down the hall. "Do be more subtle next time, Potter."

"Wh-what?" he stammered, not sure if he was hearing her correctly.

"Since it's obvious that you were at least a little at fault, I'm forced to punish the two of you or it looks like I'm playing favorites. If something like this happens again, all I ask is that you're more subtle about your reaction. As it stands, you both have detention next Saturday, and you need to clean up that mess you made." She turned on her heel and shut her office door.

James spun around to find that Lily had returned. "What...the _hell_ did you tell her?" he yelped.

"That Mulciber was going to use an Unforgivable Curse and that we both thought it was directed at the other. In the heat of the moment, we overreacted and the combination of our hexes caused all that damage." She finally smiled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. "No other witnesses, no one to argue."

James wound his arms around her and laughed with relief. "You are the _best,_ Lily fucking Evans. Did you know that? The _best!_"

"I know! Now come on," she said, tugging his hand. "You left _quite_ the mess for us to clean up."


End file.
